A term used primarily in French Burgundy (clos = closed, clôture = enclosure) for a vineyard or site, but also for wineries that own such a site. As a rule, this is a reference to an enclosure with a wall, although this may no longer exist or may never have existed. In the Middle Ages, Clos was rather a general term for a vineyard. Many such vineyards were walled by the Cistercians in the Middle Ages to protect them from animals and the weather. The best-known walled vineyards include Clos de Vougeot (with a high, kilometre-long wall, some of which still exists today) and Clos des Lambrays in the Côte d'Or area.
France - vineyards, wineries and appellations
Clos is not only used in Burgundy, but also in the regions of Champagne, Bordeaux, Alsace, Loire, Rhône and south-west France. Due to their special terroir, such vineyards in France often have their own protected appellations or Grand Cru sites. Many wineries prefix their name with Clos instead of Château or Domaine:
Enclosed vineyards and wineries in other countries
There are also enclosed vineyards in other countries and the term Clos is also used for vineyards and wineries outside France, for example in Germany, California, Lebanon, New Zealand and Switzerland:
- Clos des Abbayes and Clos des Moines - Dézaley, Vaud, Switzerland
- Clos du Bois - Alexander Valley, California
- Clos Du Val Winery - Napa Valley, California
- Clos Grand Brûlé - Valais, Switzerland
- Clos Henri - Marlborough, New Zealand
- Clos St. Thomas - Kab Elias, Lebanon
- Glöck - Nierstein, Rheinhessen, Germany
- Steinberg (with a 3.8 km long and up to four metre high stone wall) - Rheingau, Germany
- Steinrücken - Radebeul-Niederlössnitz, Saxony, Germany
Further information
Other designations for areas of outstanding quality are Climat, Côte, Cru and Lieu-dit. A complete list of all related keywords on this topic can be found under vineyard area.
Clos de Vougeot: by Günther Eichler, public domain, link
Clos des Lambrays: by presumably Arnaud 25 - own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Glöck: CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
